Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to implantable medical devices, and, more particularly, to systems and methods for communicating between an implantable medical device and a remote programmer and/or another implantable medical device.
Numerous medical devices exist today, including but not limited to electrocardiographs (“ECGs”), electroencephalographs (“EEGs”), squid magnetometers, implantable pacemakers, implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (“ICDs”), neurostimulators, electrophysiology (“EP”) mapping and radio frequency (“RF”) ablation systems, and the like. Implantable medical devices (hereafter generally “implantable medical devices” or “IMDs”) are configured to be implanted within patient anatomy and commonly employ one or more electrodes that either receive or deliver voltage, current or other electromagnetic pulses (generally “energy”) from or to an organ or tissue for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes.
An IMD communicates with a programmer and/or another IMD through a conductive communication channel, which is generally subject to gain nulls or fades when the IMD is at certain positions and/or orientations in relation to the other component with which it is communicating. The nulls or fades may prevent or otherwise reduce a communication capability of the IMD. In order to provide continuous communication, some known IMDs provide multiple communication sub-channels that include multiple electrodes having multiple driving wires therebetween. When the IMD is positioned at a particular orientation that would otherwise cause a communication null or fade, a different communication sub-channel may be used that is not subject to the communication null or fade.
Notably, the driving wires typically extend through implant walls, which may increase the cost of the IMD, due to additional sealing and connection interfaces. Additionally, the IMDs may also include multichannel transmit and/or receive hardware to accommodate multiple communication channels. Again, however, the addition of hardware adds cost and complexity to the IMDs.
Accordingly, a need exists for an efficient, cost-effective system and method of IMD communication.